1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mats for use in automobiles and other motor vehicles and more particularly to removable accessory mats designed to overlie and protect carpeted automobile floors.
2. Background Information
Floor mats of the "throw-in" or accessory type are popularly used to protect the carpeted floor of automobiles. Such mats are generally manufactured with a planar configuration and are customarily made of an elastomeric material sufficiently fexible to conform, in a general way, when placed in use, to the multiplicity of shapes and contours characteristic of today's automobile floors. Sometimes, a carpet layer is secured to the top of the elastomeric material.
A primary concern with respect to such automobile floor mats is their tendency to shift or move from their intended position in response to lateral forces experienced during occupant ingress egress and in the course of normal driving operations. This can result in the bunching gathering and general disarray of the mat on the automobile floor; moreover, movement of the floormat on the driver's side can present a significant safety hazard if the mat shifts so as to interfere with the accelerator, brake pedal or other automobile controls. Automobile manufacturers have experienced major liability claims related to alleged floor mat movement, not to mention the toll in human suffering, property damage and increased insurance premiums arising from auto accidents. Mat movement is, therefore, considered a serious and significant concern in relation to "throw-in" mats.
To address this problem, attempts have been made in the past to increase the coefficient of friction between the mat and the supporting carpeted automobile floor. Nibs or corrogations have been molded into the back of the elastomeric layer and/or an additional anti-skid layer, such as a polyurethane coating, has been sprayed on the bottom of the elastomeric material. Others have attempted to increase the staying power of their mats by embedding or securing rigidifying elements, e.g. rod-like elements or thin, flat sheets, to the flexible elastomeric mat. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,399,176 and 4,465,720.
Another approach (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,986) employs a mat having a relatively stiff planar first section adapted to contact a generally horizontal portion of an automobile floor and a second relatively flexible portion hinged to said first portion and adapted to rest against an inclined firewall of the automobile. Other prior art efforts to reduce mat slippage have employed mechanical retaining means to fasten the accessory mat to the underlying carpeted surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,699 discusses a slip-resistant mat in which a gripping layer of resilient polymeric slit foam is bonded by a fused vinyl resin plastisol to a facing layer of carpeted fabric. FIG. 3 of this patent illustrates application of the patented invention to an automotive mat in which flap sections are adapted to bend upwardly (or downwardly) onto surfaces having slopes of different angles and directions.
Although providing increased slip resistance, the above described efforts have not been totally successful in eliminating mat slippage and, in some cases, have been accompanied by undue complexity and manufacturing expense. Furthermore, these earlier mats appear to be intended for generic use in all automobiles and, accordingly, are not especially well suited to accommodate the particular cut-outs and contours of, and provide maximum protection to, the carpeted foot space of particular vehicle models.
Molded mats made by injection molding of thermoplastic materials and contoured for an exact fit to a particular automobile floor have been commercially available. At least some of these thermoplastic mats have featured raised borders and waffle patterns to trap dirt, water and snow; rigid construction to permit fast, easy removal for cleaning; and a studded bottom surface to prevent slipping. However, such mats lack the plushness, fabric resiliency and water absorption capability afforded by carpeted floor mats. Further, there is a tendency with such thermoplastic mats for accumulated dirt to be ground into the occupant's shoes and/or for the shoes to sit in a puddle of water.
For sometime, moldable carpeting has been used to cover the bare metal floor of automobiles; e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,755. However, such original carpeting is generally adhesively secured to the underlying floor and, accordingly, manufacturers thereof have not been concerned with the movement problem and other considerations associated with removable auto accessory floor mats. To the best of Applicant's knowledge, heretofore no one has successfully developed an accessory automotive floor mat which passively but positively solves the mat shifting problem and at the same time provides an easily removable, attractive carpeted surface.